Volume 84 (Fall 2012 - Spring 2013)

It’s hard to believe that it has been four years since I stood beside my best friends at high school graduation. I never thought things would get better than those times even though I was always told that college would be the best four years of my life. After going through it, all the people who told me that were one hundred percent correct.

Monmouth has been an unbelievable experience for me. I got to do so much and meet so many great people. Some of whom, I’ll be friends with for the rest of my life. There’s not enough time or ink to write down all I want to say about the people I’ve met, but here are some shout outs I was able to fit on one page:

Mom: Thank you for your unwavering support through everything over these four stressful years. You’ve always been there for me and have helped me get through whatever obstacle I had to face. You’re not only my mom, but you’re my best friend and I’m lucky to have the greatest mother in the world. I just hope you’re prepared for me to move back in for the first time in three years, haha. Love you!

Professor Morano: I learned so much from you in the past four years and since I’ve come to college, you’ve helped me increase my writing skills. You’ve been a great advisor to me and have given me many life tips that I will always remember. Thank you for all the help and aid throughout the years and I hope to still keep in touch with you after graduation.

Brothers of Phi Kappa Psi: Hey jerks. I know I wasn’t around that much this year, but that doesn’t change all of the great times we had over the past four years. From the beta class to the Bod Zone, the memories and stupid stuff we did will always be something I cherish. Gregg, Kyle Evans, Kyle Walter, Matty Ferns, Brandon, Shane, Casey, Miggs, Jeff, Tom, Decarlo, Deeg, Sean, Kinsella, Crazy John, Fichera, and everybody else, I love you all. Live ever, die never boys.

The past few weeks I have just been looking forward to warmer weather and some free time. I have almost been too busy to get nostalgic or sentimental about my years at Monmouth… and then I started writing this article. I remember thinking that I would never graduate eight grades – that time was a figment of my imagination.

When I got to high school I felt the same way, but when I graduated I was relieved that the next four years of my life were already planned out. Now here I am, weeks before graduation and no yearlong plans set in stone, no time allotted safety net. Realizing I am about to finish my last full week of classes as a college undergrad puts a knot in my stomach.

I have had a vast amount of personal growth over the past four years here. There are a number of people I would like to take the time to thank:

There are a lot of people who have helped me get to where I am today, and I am grateful for each one of you.

First would be my family. My father: for encouraging me to pick a profession based on my passion and not the paycheck, and for being a prime example of just that. For stressing the importance of education, no matter the cost, and making sure I had a strong foundation for my future. Although one of his biggest regrets was knowing that he would not live long enough to see me graduate college, I have a sense of pride and accomplishment knowing that in just 23 short days, I will walk across the stage of the PNC Bank Arts Center in my cap and gown.

He steps up on the mound, foot on the rubber and leans forward to pick up the sign from his catcher. Going through his motion, the ball is fired toward home plate. Yet, unlike most left-handed pitchers, there is an extra step for 21-year-old Bryan Sullivan. Rather than following through beyond releasing the ball, Sullivan brings his left hand, the hand he just threw the ball with, into his glove readying him for what may come back.

Bryan was born with cerebral palsy and suffers from hemiparesis, or slight paralysis or weakness that affects the right side of his body. Despite the physical limitations, he does not let his condition hold him back, yet uses it as a means to push himself that much harder. Sullivan weighs in at 180 pounds and stands 5’11”. His bio on Facebook reads: “I’m Bryan. I like to play baseball and meet new people.”

When Bryan was 6 years-old he was watching a New York Yankees game with his father. They were playing the Orioles and Bryan noticed something unique about the pitcher. Bryan asked his dad, “Who is that pitching?” His father replied, “That’s Jim Abott, he catches and throws with the same hand.”

If he can do it, I can do it.

From that moment on, his life has revolved around becoming the best pitcher he can be and following that one simple phrase for motivation.

His father, Steve Sullivan, was, and still is, a huge part of Bryan’s life. Steve grew up around the game of baseball and his father worked at Yankee Stadium. “It’s in our blood,” he said. “I told Bryan, ‘You can do anything, you just have to learn how and work at it, and we will find a way to do it.’”

But how to do it? A little blue baseball glove and a Wiffle Ball started it all just one day after Bryan had seen Jim Abott pitch.

After a series of trial and error, Bryan and his dad were able to make it work. “At first we tried to put his glove on his right hand,” said Steve. But Bryan did not have enough control over his right hand for that to work effectively. “We decided we would have to teach him to catch and throw with the same hand,” he said.

When picturing the lifestyle of a typical college student, the thought of getting involved on campus in a way that does not include going to class or getting invites to parties is usually not the main focus. Many people tend to forget that amidst all of the schoolwork and social aspects of college life, volunteering and joining clubs is also a very crucial part of the experience.

Marilyn Ward, Coordinator of Service Learning and Community Programs, said, “Campus and/or community involvement gives students a chance to explore their potential and give back to the University or the local community.”

At the University, it is incredibly easy to start giving back. According to the school’s website, the University is home to more than 75 student-run organizations. These include various clubs, fraternities, sororities, honor societies, governing bodies, and publication and media outlets, all of which exist for the sake of giving back and making a difference.

“Volunteering has taught me a lot about myself,” freshman Jameson Tisch said. He is involved in the Student Alumni Association, the First Year Service Project and Student Government Association. Tisch explained that his time spent volunteering has benefited him greatly, as he has gained new leadership skills and a much more prominent sense of responsibility.

Ward said she believes that volunteers are leaders because “volunteering takes initiative, organization, and a passion for the cause that you support.” The leadership skills that students gain through volunteering can be used in future workplaces and all throughout life.

Many students think that they have the option of going to class, but this can result in consequences if they are not careful.

Anna Mikalauskas, sophomore, has not had many problems. “So far I have lucked out in my time at Monmouth and have had great professors who are understanding when it comes to missing class,” said Mikalauskas.

She added, “Most of the classes I have been in allow you to have two unexcused absences, which I think is reasonable considering that does not account for classes you may have to miss if you are sick or have a personal issue.”

Adversely, Mikalauskas has heard from her friends that some professors do not allow any absences aside from religious holidays.

Some teachers are very strict when it comes to missing classes. Ryan Kinghorn, sophomore, has not been so lucky. “For the most part my professors have been very reasonable with their attendance policies,” said Kinghorn. “But I have had a couple professors that have been very strict with their policies. I sent an email to a professor in advance that I wasn’t feeling well and he responded by saying that his department did not allow any absences without a signed doctor’s note and that I would lose points for the class.”

Kinghorn believes that professors should realize that although a student’s education should be taken seriously, there are things that come up during the course of the year that can prevent them from coming to class.

This is for whoever is not go­ing to a beautiful tropical island for spring break. Hello to all staycation-ers! Even with all of this snow, we are going to take back our spring break! Spring break is when all of us get a taste of warmth (but with this weather who knows). The hints of summer are fast approaching, so close, and yet so, so far away.

But who said that you need to travel to a tropical island or beach to enjoy spring break?

For anyone who is keeping their spring break local, here are some great tips to enjoy your staycation. Your spring break will definitely start to heat up even at home.

In order to get out of any stay­cation slump, you need to get off your couch-potato bums! What was that you say? You like to shake your bum? Well, here is just the thing for you!

Taking some zumba classes are great to do over your staycation for two reasons. One reason is so you can stop watching re-runs of “Toddlers and Tiaras”, eating Nutella and actually move. Sec­ond, there are discounts. Oh yeah, I’m talking coupons.

Livingsocial.com is great for finding deals on anything under the sun. Right now they are adver­tising 40-70 percent off local fit­ness deals in your area. They have deals from zumba, to yoga, and yes, even something called Bad Ass Fitness. So for anyone that is looking to get in shape to start looking good for the summer, sign up on livingsocial.com and get discounts on some of your favorite or new favorite fitness classes.

Now wait, wait, a second. Don’t run off your couch just yet. There’s more.

In response to the tragic Boston Marathon bombings that occurred on April 15, 2013, thousands of people across the nation expressed great grief and anger at this terror strike. While this anger was justified, the fear that accompanied further repercussions of the bombing was perhaps a bit disjointed.

Currently, there is a great amount of debate centering the topic of human responses to fear. Repercussions of the Boston Marathon bombing included numerous rapid responses.

Such responses included every day citizens immediately volunteering to assist law enforcement in managing the destruction and caring for the wounded, however, such responses also included anger and prejudice. So what causes such a range of responses in such unstable situations? The answer lies within the distinctive pathways of the brain.

Tumultuous situations often elicit radical and irrational consequences. Dr. Bruce Perry of the Child Trauma Academy in Texas speculates that responses to terror situations shut down the smartest parts of the brain.

The frontal lobe is amongst the smartest parts of the brain, located just behind the forehead. This area of the brain is responsible for consciously evaluating the most logical or beneficial responses to a situation while also balancing its risks and rewards according to brainline.org.

Nowadays, many would agree it would be difficult to live without their cell phone, something created to be fast and convenient with the ability to satisfy business or work related matters and entertainment all in one. What more could you ask for? Email, Internet, camera/video and music are just a few applications that come as a standard with most cell phones these days.

“All I need is my iPhone. If I have that, then I’ve got all I really need for school, work, you know, whatever,” said senior Carly Pavelchek. Although we have become so accustomed to using our cell phones for just about everything and anything, has the rapid growth of technology and the advancements on cellular devices caused a negative effect amongst our society? Are cellphones beginning to take over without us even realizing?

I’m sure we’ve all experienced or been a part of those “rude” moments like texting at the dinner table or checking Facebook during class, but the distraction is just too hard to ignore sometimes. The applications for smartphones are endless; workout and diet plans, coupon savers, games, puzzles, organizers, banking and credit card statements, the list goes on.

“Everything is at the tip of your fingers,” said senior Sonya Shah. “How could you not use it all the time, you know?” The medical student uses her cell phone for mostly downloading slides and using interactive applications involving anatomy. “It makes it much easier, that’s for sure. I don’t always have access to a computer, but my phone is always with me. But I guess that’s kinda like a mini computer, so never mind,” laughed Shah.

Since it’s creation, the Internet has had an unbelievably large impact on the every day lives of millions of people. In more recent years, the invention of the Internet has also provided us with a handful of different ways to interact with other people from all over the world, all from behind the screen of a computer.

Social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter allow men and women of all ages to connect with one another through the sharing of pictures, text posts and direct messages. Other websites like match.com and eHarmony were created for interaction purposes as well, but on a much different level.

According to CBS, dating websites started appearing in the mid-90s with the launch of Match.com, but didn’t gain a whole lot of momentum until the 2000’s. Now, in 2013, there are over 5000 online dating sites in existence according to Online Dating Magazine. They’re all basically the same: create a profile, post photos of yourself, answer a handful of questions regarding your interests, goals and hobbies and then the website does the rest of the work for you.

And now that much of the United States’ population have started using smartphones, there are countless apps for both iPhone and android devices that work the same as these online dating websites.

These websites and smartphone applications have changed the face of dating over the years, but it is still difficult for many people to understand why others put these technology driven resources to use when it comes to starting relationships. Dr. Gary Lewandowski, the Department Chair of Psychology at the University, said, “It is primarily a matter of convenience. It seems that many of the things we had previously done in person have migrated to websites and apps, and it seems that dating isn’t any different.”

Your resume is the first and lasting impression. You have about three seconds to grab the employer’s attention, so don’t waste it. Incorporating creative tricks and treats to amp up your resume can help you land that job.

Resumes consist of your prior work experiences, academic influences and extracurricular activities. It is your opportunity to exhibit all of the positives that you have conquered. Avoid confusing jargon and overwriting.

Assistant Dean of Career Services, William Hill advised, “Have an Objective statement. Avoid generic statements, tweak it to fit the job and be specific as you can. Write ‘seeking a position in the financial services industry with an emphasis in banking and credit’ or ‘seeking a career in software development with a progressive technical consulting firm.’ Avoid statements like ‘seeking a job in management,’ which are too broad.”

Start off with a powerful mission statement. Include your desires, goals and qualities you can provide. The more direct and specific you are with your statement, the more convincing you will appear.

Junior Kelly Dalton explained, “A mission statement offers the employers with a short summary of what you can bring to the table. It tells them all about you and your traits in a few sentences.”

Certain words in the English language have, for centuries, constructed certain social stigmas we would now consider matters of intolerance. Recently, the Associated Press announced the ban of the term “illegal immigrant” from its stylebook.

It is no secret that numerous U.S. immigrants have faced severe racial, occupational and educational discrimination in our history. Therefore, this action was taken in favor of immigration organizations and advocates who claimed that the phrase “illegal immigrant” emitted degrading and uncivil sentiments towards those living in the U.S. without proper documentation. Accordingly, the Associated Press has recommended instead the use of the term “undocumented immigrant” in hopes that a less demeaning terminology will encompass a more positive stigma. However, we must question, in truth, how successful this could be.

Various learning theorists explain the basis of behavior to be simply learning and memory. Once a thing is learned and is committed to memory, it becomes a habitual routine which, as human beings, we are reluctant to break away from. When our behavior comes to communication, our language is very difficult to separate from our associated thought. Therefore, with years of practicing the term “illegal immigrant” behind us, there seems to be narrow hope for significant change to come out of this.

Immigrants themselves are diffident in having too much hope for this act. Freshman biology major Siri Chintapalli said, “changing an official term does nothing to change people’s attitudes. At least giving something a controversial name draws attention to it and forces people to talk about it. This just makes an important issue sound like a minor inconvenience.” Seemingly, issuing legislation cannot destroy our engrained associations and might be ignoring the bigger picture of prejudice. The question further fails to associate justified sentiments towards immigrants, who were an essential component in the building of this nation.